The Top Supernatural Films You Need to See

"Black Sunday" (1960) (Gene pick)

From acclaimed director Mario Bava, this film is about a woman (Barbara Steele) executed for being a witch, who returns centuries later to exact her revenge. The execution scene is by far one of the most brutal in horror, particularly given that it's from 1960, and it goes far to explain why Barbara Steele is in her own right a horror icon. Highly recommended.

"Rosemary's Baby" (1968) (Gene pick)

Based on the novel by Ira Levin, this iconic film plays upon the natural paranoia common in pregnant women, who sometimes feel there's soemthing wrong with their baby. In this case the mother, Rosemary (Mia Farrow) is right, since the child's real father is the Devil, and some of her neighbors are members of a cult.

"The Wicker Man" (1973) (Gene pick)

No, not the Nicolas Cage one. That version is the totally unnecessary and largely remake of this masterpiece starring Edward Woodward and Christopher Lee, in which a British detective travels to a remote part of England to investigate reports of a missing child. There he finds an odd community that has become a fertility cult, which he suspects is responsible for the child's disappearance. Suspenseful, erotic, and terrifying.

"The Exorcist" (1974) (Gene pick)

Based on the novel by William Peter Blatty, which was in turn based on true events, this film has rightfully been called one of the most terrifying of all time, forever seared in the minds of generations of viewers. With themes and scenes lauded, lampooned, and imitated countless times, it may seem slow by today's standards, but it remains iconic and groundbreaking.

"Deep Red" (1975) (Gene pick)

Just a few years earlier at the beginning of his career, writer/director Dario Argento was helping to launch what became known as the giallo genre in Italian films - directors who were heavily influenced by Alfred Hitchcock, doing suspenseful films about murder, with an increased dose of sex, gore, and sometimes cheesy or psychedelic goodness. With "Deep Red," Argento created one of his masterpieces, crossing fully into horror. It doesn't always make sense, but it's always disturbing.

"The Omen" (1976) (Gene pick)

Continuing the theme started by "Rosemary's Baby" and "The Exorcist," "The Omen" is a thriller where the actual adversary is Satan, as well as his many followers, walking among us everywhere. Legendary actor Gregory Peck plays a U.S. ambassador, happily married, who is told his child died at birth. He accepts another child, born the same night, whose mother died during birth, and doesn't tell his wife. In the next few years, while their son Damian appears to be a perfect child, his wife comes to think there's something wrong with him. And people tend to die in freak accidents, or commit suicide, paving the way for Damian and his family to lead a charmed life, which he does, because Damian is the Anti-Christ, who will come to power and one day bring about Armageddon, unless he is destroyed. This film does an excellent job of playing on one's anxiety and paranoia, convincing us that nowhere is safe, and no one is to be trusted.

"Suspiria" (1977) (Gene pick)

This film is actually the second part of Argento's trilogy, started by "Deep Red." The third is "Mother of Tears," which while entertaining, isn't a must-see. The first two films are actually Argento's defining works. As with "Deep Red," "Suspiria" doesn't always make sense, but it purees your brain even more than "Deep Red" does. Best example: There's no reason why there would be a room full of razor wire in the locale for the film, or anywhere, really, but there's one in the film, and you'll see someone fall into it, and the image will be with you forever, churning your guts and slicing your mind as sure as those razors are slicing the unfortunate victim.

"Damien: The Omen II" (1978) (Gene pick)

Continuing the saga of Damien Thorne, this film casts another legendary actor, William Holden, as the brother of Gregory Peck's character from the first film, now raising his nephew Damien as his own son after unfortunate death of his parents. Damien continues to be a model child, now entering puberty, who is forced to cope with his own budding abilities, and his role in life, as he learns his true identity as the Anti-Christ.

"The House by the Cemetery" (1981) (Gene pick)

Lucio Fulci is another director who, like Dario Argento, came out of the giallo movement, but Fulci went to the horror side of things harder and faster, with this film being an excellent example of his work. Starting off as a mysterious kind of slasher film, it eventually veers off into a tale featuring an undead doctor, complete with the gore and maggots one would expect from an Italian horror film. If "Jaws" made you afraid of swimming, this film will make you afraid of basements.

"The Omen III: The Final Conflict" (1982) (Gene pick)

If you've read the other installments of our series on horror films, you may have noted that we rarely mention more than one or two films given series because usually they follow the trend of diminishing returns. "The Omen" trilogy is a clear exception, as each film continues the story from the first, and there's clear character development and high quality all the way through. These films are terrifying, and in this film, the final chapter, we find Damien Thorne, now an adult, heir to his family's fortune, fully in control of the charisma and power that are his birthright, poised to run for the office of President of the United States. All that stands between him and that seat, are the handful of people on Earth who know his true identity and are willing to risk their lives to destroy him. But to get to him they must also get past his legions of followers. Sam Neill, now known for his role in the "Jurassic Park" films, is incredibly powerful as Damien. Watch them all. It's worth it.

"Demons" (1985) (Gene pick)

At this point, Dario Argento was an established horror director, as was Lamberto Bava, and Argento was teaming up with other directors to create things together. This team-up worked rather well, as Argento's ear for eerie music and Bava's supernatural horror themes combine in a film where unsuspecting movie-goers are attacked by demons in a theatre. Successful enough to spawn a sequel, you only need to see the original.

"Big Trouble in Little China" (1986) (Dandy pick)

A trucker, the notable Jack Burton (Kurt Russell) tags along with his friend to the airport to meet his friend’s fiancée, only she’s kidnapped by a gang for one reason only-she has green eyes. Teamed up with fellow friends and fighters, the group go on an adventure to find her in the underground sorcery of China Town, San Francisco. Filled with supernatural elements, comedic one-liners, and overall cheesiness, this is a John Carpenter favorite.

"Child's Play" (1987) (BOTH pick)

Maybe you're thinking, "What? Why is this film here with the Supernatural movies, it's a slasher film!" No, no it's not. 35 years ago, when this franchise started, a franchise that had many sequels and now two seasons of an ongoing series, it started as the story of a criminal who, cornered and dying, uses his knowledge of the occult to transfer his soul into a doll. Then, now as an animated doll, he goes on a quest to get his soul back into a living body, perhaps the body of the boy who the doll was given to. That criminal, Chucky, continues that quest today.

"Monster Squad" (1987) (BOTH pick)

The great thing about the Universal Horror films of the 1940s was when you'd see the great monsters in the same film, with "Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man" being the best example. This movie has a bit of that energy, with all 5 classic era monsters - Dracula, the Mummy, the Wolf Man, Frankenstein's monster, and the Creature (aka Fish Man) all appearing in the film together, with more of an adventure/Goonies spin on things than flat-out scariness.

"Hellraiser" (1987) (BOTH pick)

Before this movie came out, a quote from Stephen King ran on many of Clive Barker's books, stating, "I have seen the future of horror, and it is Clive Barker." That's a hefty statement to make, but this film, written and directed by Barker, proved it accurate, as "Hellraiser" was one of the most unique, visceral iconic horror films ever, spawning many sequels (some of them good). Essentially the film shows that there are many roads to Hell, and one of them is a puzzle box. Not all who go to Hell are condemned there. Some go voluntarily, seeking the ultimate transfusion of pain into pleasure. Whether you condemn yourself or find your way there by accident, the angel/demons known as the Cenobites will be there to cut you, pierce you, break you, and otherwise mutilate you far beyond what your mind could predict or comprehend.

"Hellbound: Hellraiser II" (1988) (Dandy pick)

Continuing after the events of part 1, Kirsty (Ashley Laurence) is in a psychiatric hospital relaying her story to a doctor who is unknowingly into occult worship. Upon learning of Julia’s fate, the doctor resurrects her and uses another patient to solve the infamous puzzle box to unleash the Cenobites and open a gate to Hell. Meanwhile, Kirsty is convinced her father is in Hell and desperately tries to find him but is finding other information that will save her from being trapped herself. Fun fact: I had seen this movie many times, but as taped-off-HBO version not knowing it was edited. I have watched this movie recently on DVD and was shocked to see some of the gorier imagery that I was never privy to before. Who knew HBO edited movies?!

"Waxwork" (1988) (Dandy pick)

College kids visit a new waxwork museum and become one with the exhibits. As each lives out the story behind the exhibit and meet their fate, it’s all in the grander scheme for the museum owner to collect souls to unleash evil upon the world. Bringing back a few classic horror movie monsters as well as a few notable historical figures-Marquis de Sade, anyone? Swoon-this is an 80s cheesy romp that I can’t get enough of. Being post-Gremlins fame for Zach Galligan, though, he was met with a lot of body shame because he was a little thicker than he was alongside Gizmo. In my opinion, he looked just fine and was still hot.

"Night of the Demons" (1988) (BOTH pick)

This film is a good mix of scary and fun. When a group of teens has a party at an abandoned funeral parlor on Halloween night, they awaken an evil presence that begins to possess them, turning them into demons.

"The Church" (1989) (Gene pick)

One of the differences between American films and British or European films is that stuff in America in so comparatively new. In Europe, as with this film, construction or restoration of a building can uncover all sorts of things - a biohazard created by the remains of plague victims, perhaps, or maybe, as in this case, demonic creatures who had been sealed beneath a church built in the Middle Ages.

"Pet Sematary" (1989) (Dandy pick)

A doctor moves his family to a country home with a very interesting back yard-an ancient burial ground that resurrect the dead. After a tragic incident involving his young son, his desperation leads him exhume his son and re-bury him in the not-so-sacred place. Only, things go awry and don’t turn out as expected. Easily one of the creepiest children you will ever encounter in a film, this movie still freaks me out to this day. Scarier still, is the wife’s memories of her ill sister Zelda. Nightmare fodder forever with that one.

"The Exorcist III" (1990) (Gene pick)

The original "The Exorcist" was a huge success, and it's hard to blame the studio for making a sequel to it. To their credit they did try a little. They brought back Linda Blair in the role of Regan, the victim of possession, and introduced legendary actor Richard Burton as a new priest who is questioning his own faith. However, the plot was bad, the movie was slow, and overall the film sucked. Years later, the franchise came back strong, bringing back William Peter Blatty, author of the original novel, and introducing legendary actor George C. Scott as a veteran police lieutenant, who took part in the case of the original events, as he investigates a series of murders perhaps related to that case. This film totall ignores the second film and serves as a direct sequel to the original, full of suspense and some seriously creepy scares, including one moment that actually made me jump in my seat in the theatre.

"The Stand" (1994) (BOTH pick)

Yes, it was technically a tv mini-series but 1. See it anyway 2. Look at the cast - wall to wall movie stars. Based on what many consider Stephen King's best novel, the film resurrected the career of actor Rob Lowe, and showed many that Molly Ringwald could do more than teen films. The plot is simple - a highly contagious, highly lethal supervirus has wiped out most of the population of the world, seemingly overnight. Those who are left are guided by visions to join survivors in one of two locations. One area seems to attract inherently good people, the other area - Las Vegas - bad people, with Randall Flagg, who may be the devil himself, running the show in Vegas.

"The Prophecy" (1995) (Gene pick)

You may have heard that Satan used to be an angel in Heaven, until he led a revolt against God. When he lost, Satan and his cohorts were cast into Hell, where they became demons. In this film, we learn the battle between the angels never quite ended, and Earth and humanity are caught in the crossfire. Christopher Walken is brilliant as the angel Gabriel, with lots of cool visual bits showing how angels are different, even birdlike, perching on things.

"The Craft" (1996) (Dandy pick)

In the vein of goth representation, we can’t forget "The Craft", every 90s goth girl’s wet dream of a movie. *Raises hand* Sarah (Robin Tunney) starts at a new school and is befriended by a group of three outcast girls who claim to be witches. Intrigued, Sarah joins in as they practice spells, do girl things, meanwhile trying to have her own outside social life with dating and being normal. As Nancy (Fairuza Balk) gets power hungry, it’s up to Sarah to protect those around her and deflect Nancy’s advances with curses and bullying. Taking high school cliques to a whole new level and making Catholic school girl uniforms cool and chic, this was one must-see movie.

"Sleepy Hollow" (1999) (Dandy pick)

Hands down my favorite Tim Burton film. Feel free to argue with me, but the aesthetics of this movie always screamed German Expressionism backed by the talent of its carefully selected actors, most being Burton favorites in a time before we realized he had favorites. Ichabod Crane (Johnny Depp) is sent to the town of Sleepy Hollow to investigate the murders of some of the town folk all having the same cause of death-decapitation. Upon investigation, he encounters the entity of the Headless Horseman, and it becomes a race to protect the next victim and figure out who is controlling the Horseman with calculated victims.

"The Blair Witch Project" (1999) (Gene pick)

The cultural impact of this film cannot be exaggerated. Before this movie, "found footage films" were unheard of. This was the first one. It made the mold followed by so many film-makers since that it has since become tiresome. But here, it was a fresh idea, showing that if you present something as real, it hits home faster and harder. Plus it showed that you don't need a big effects budget. Or any effects budget. The film plays on all of the primal fears in humans - fear of the dark, fear of being lost, fear of the unknown, paranoia. No, you never see the witch, but you don't need to. The effects of the witch are increasingly clear, whether you believe in magic or not.

"Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2" (2000) (Dandy pick)

Following the film and urban legend of the Blair Witch, a group of tourists head out to the woods of Burkittsville, Maryland to see where the events took place. After a night of partying and no memory of what happened, the video camera reveals scenarios that prove they were performing rituals to appease the witch. It becomes a survival of reality vs video as they piece together what really happened between the woods and the tour guide’s home. I think all goth girls were really excited to finally see goth representation in the likes of the character Kim, played by Kim Director. News flash: She wasn’t really goth. Broken black hearts everywhere.

"Final Destination" (2000) (BOTH pick)

The concept of "Final Destination" is a great one. Who's after you? Is it a serial killer killer, a demon, a vampire, the Devil? Nope, it's Death. Not even the embodiment of Death, just Death. If you were suppoed to die in an accident, such as a plane crash, but a vision or feeling told you to get off the plane, it pisses death off, increasing the likelihood that you'll die in some freak accident thereafter. The whole franchise is good, but since it establishes the premise, you only need to see the first one.

"Bubba Ho Tep" (2002) (Gene pick)

This film is fairly obscure, but fans are fans for life. Find it, and you'll be a fan too. Based on a story by horror master Joe R. Lansdale, and directed by another horror legend, Don ("Phantasm") Coscarelli, the film is almost too bizarre to describe or believe, which is what makes it awesome. Bruce ("Evil Dead") Campbell plays Elvis. Not only is Elvis not dead, he's old and living in a retirement home after faking his death because he just couldn't hack being the biggest star in the world anymore. In the home he meets JFK, played by screen legend Ossie Davis. But wait, isn't Ossie Davis black? yes. And JFK is technically dead, but this JFK says he survived the assassination attempt and his brain was put in the body of a black man. Are they both insane, telling the truth, or some combination of the two? Hard to say, but regardless the two find themselves teaming up to investigate the deaths of their fellow residents, which may be a result of an ancient mummy feeding off the dwindling life force of the elderly.

"Horns" (2013) (Dandy pick)

Based on the novel by Joe Hill, Ig Perrish (Daniel Radcliffe) lives with the loss of his girlfriend and the accusations of everyone around him that he murdered her. In his grief, he develops horns that cause people around him to tell him their deepest thoughts and secrets. He uses this to his advantage to locate his girlfriend’s killer, but along the way he learns more than he bargains for from the people he trusted most. Having read the book, I can say this movie is a good adaptation, only leaving out the darker side of his best friend Max’s childhood. Although a very dark film, it is a love story that will give you all the feels.

"The Witch" (2015) (Gene pick)

This debut feature film from director Robert Eggers tries hard to show what it would have been like for American Puritans in the 1600s, during the time of the Salem Witch trials, had there been an actual witch. Eggers succeeds in that attempt, showing us a family banished out of their community. This alone would have been a terrifying death sentence for many in 17th century New England, when Native Americans, animals, starvation, and the elements were all capable you without the help of others. To make matters worse, there is a witch in the woods, who takes the family's youngest child, and has her sights set on the other children. Disturbing for many reasons, this film will stay with you for a long, long time.

Gene Lass and Dandy J. West are lifelong horror fans and film buffs. They are the former editors of the blog "So Good It's Scary."